Every Witch Way You Run
by True.Ravenclaw.of.Albion
Summary: Chloe Bellamy was sent to Beacon Hills by her mother to complete her senior year. She quickly makes friends, but is there more to them than meets the eye? It's clearly not her place to judge, since she is far from being honest with them herself... Season 5 side story. Rated T just in case for later.
1. Welcome to Beacon Hills

**A/N: This is happening at the same time as the events of Season 5. Also, this is my first fanfic AND it's in a second language, so reviews are welcome!**

 **Disclaimer: i do not own Teen Wolf or any of its characters. The O/C, however, is mine,mine,mine :)**

 **Chapter 1: Welcome to Beacon Hills**

Changing schools in senior year would have been a social death sentence for any teenager, but moving to Beacon Hills on top of it could literally mean death …

"Relax, girl. It's just Senior year." She took a deep breath and, squaring her shoulders, stepped into the throng of students coming in. It was the beginning of the year, nobody noticed a new brunette wandering the hallways. She found the principal's office easily enough and, after a stern lecture on the school's code of conduct and zero tolerance policy, was sent on her way with her schedule in hand.

Just before entering her first class, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob. How awkward would it be to come in after everybody and to be put in the spotlight as "the new kid"? Would the teacher ask her to talk about herself in front of the class? They would all stare! No, no way. That was not how she wanted to start this year. According to the school map in her left hand, the library was not too far down the same corridor. Choosing the least threatening option, she quietly made her way to the library.

The atmosphere was calm and there were very few students. Exactly what she needed. She went to hide *ahem, read* in a corner, behind bookshelves overflowing with foreign language dictionaries. Sitting down on the ground, she pulled her book from her bag and disappeared in the witty steampunk world of the story. She was so absorbed, she never noticed a pretty redhead walking by, stooping in front of her, and checking her out. The redhead stayed there, silently staring at this new girl, and then went back on her way with a strange look on her face. This never disturbed the new kid, who was completely lost in the story of airship pirates scouring the aether currents. By the time the bell rang, she had finished it. Before heading out, she checked her face, hair and clothes one last time. She wasn't vain, but first impressions were everything in high school.

Students were milling about in the classroom, talking and picking their places, and she found a free spot at the back of the class. Before everyone got seated, she quickly went to see the teacher and ask him not to put her on the spot by introducing her to the class. Faking shyness usually worked with the teachers. It kept them at an agreeable distance and let her daydream quietly.

The bell rang. The kids sat down and slowly stopped talking. Mr. Yukimura rose.

"God morning class. This year we'll tackle Government and Politics, but before we start today's lesson, I want you all to give a warm welcome to Chloe Bellamy, our new student. She just transferred from New York. Would you like to introduce yourself, Miss Bellamy?"

His mischievous smile told her he didn't believe her 'shy kid' routine one bit. Fine then, he'd have to deal with a sassier student this year.

"No thank you, sir. I'm sure everyone here can't wait to get started. I know I can't." He chuckled at her cheeky smirk and started his lesson.

While he was otherwise occupied, some students turned around to sneak a look at the impertinent new kid from the Big Apple. Some smiled at her, others smirked in a less than welcoming way. Some couldn't care less, like the two boys on her left, completely absorbed in a hushed argument. Mr. Yukimura seemed to have good ears, though.

"Scott, Stiles, please stop gossiping. Unless it has anything to do with the three branches of government?"

"Sorry, sir." One of them had the decency to look ashamed. The other just looked annoyed at the interruption. He looked around and his eyes stopped on Chloe.

"Who are you?" he asked not-so-quietly. She was about to answer him when …

"She's not part of this week's assignment, Stiles. Maybe if you paid a bit more attention in class, your mid-term grades wouldn't be so tragic. Now, can we please get back to the Senate?"

The rest of the class was spent in total silence. Mr. Yukimura was not the kind of teacher you could joke around with. The two boys had stopped talking, but they kept glancing at her in what they thought was a covert way. When the bell rang, as she was picking her stuff up, she saw them coming toward her.

"Hi, sorry about Stiles' outburst. Didn't want to put you in the spotlight like that."

"Yeah, the other chimed in. No, I didn't want to … you know. "

"It's cool, she said shyly. The teacher already did it anyway."

"Mr. Yukimura? He's cool, I mean, for a teacher. Anyway I'm Scott." He offered her his hand and she shook it.

"Chloe –"

"And I'm Stiles, said the other boy, vigorously shaking her other hand. Welcome to Beacon Hills"


	2. Spazzing and Slipping up

**Chapter 2: Spazzing and Slipping Up**

Since the boys were nice enough to invite her to their lunch table, Chloe found herself sitting next to Scott, facing a blonde sophomore boy. She also had a breathtaking view of Stiles and his girlfriend kissing each other. Or trying to smother each other with their tongues. Hem, well. The sophomore – Liam, his name was Liam – looked as grossed out by their antics as she felt, and seemed happy to have someone to distract him.

"So, Chloe" he said awkwardly, "where did you say you were from?"

"I grew up in New England with my mom, but she's being transfered to the west coast. She didn't want me to switch schools in the middle of the year so she made sure I could start senior year here right away, even though her transfer won't be final until next month or so ..."

"So you're doing your Senior year on the other side of the country", asked Stiles' girlfriend after taking a much needed breath of air, "alone?"

"Mehh, Long story. You know how things can be, with the movers and the contracts and stuff like that" said Chloe, a little more aggressively than she thought.

"Malia, give her a break, it's her first day." Scott's intervention was very welcome and Malia dropped the subject, duly chastised. Two girls then arrived and took the last seats at the table.

"Chloe, meet my girlfriend Kira" Scott said, pointing at each girl. "And that's Lydia Martin. Chloe's new in our year. She's already met your dad."

Kira laughed at that and, after a quick kiss on Scott's cheek, she added: "Don't worry, he's a nice dad, *ahem* teacher, once you get to know him. I swear!"

"I saw you in the library this morning" said Lydia.

"Really? Well I never noticed you, sorry"

"By the way you were holding on to that book, it would've taken an earthquake to get your attention" she added, smiling. "Is it good?"

And then Chloe couldn't shut up for the next five to ten minutes. She went on and on about her book and comparing it with others of the same genre and almost ranting about the useless romantic subplot. Nobody at the table said a word, which was eerie to say the least. Either they were riveted and wanted to hear more, or they were considering calling the local asylum and asking for the men in white with the butterfly nets to come and take her away. Amazingly, she managed to stop herself before they ran away.

"Sorry about that" she said sheepishly. "I tend to get really worked up when I talk about books. I read tons and I kind of want to go in publishing someday. So, rule #1, never-never-never-EVER ask me about a book. Unless you have an hour or two to waste." She would have been mortified if not for Scott's smile.

"That's cool, it's nice that you're really passionate about something and that you're willing to share like that. Don't worry, you're never gonna be as crazy or annoying as Stiles can be!"

"Thanks" she replied, dumbstruck by his attitude, while Stiles was loudly – and annoyingly – protesting that statement.

The rest of the day went on quietly, without any fresh outbursts of weirdness. There was only this little, tiny slip-up, between classes. Lydia and Scott were helping her find her new locker, when suddenly, Chloe sneezed. Now, that doesn't seem problematic at all, but, as Scott was in the middle of a "Bless You", a sudden gust of wind rose in the corridor and passed them by, scattering papers everywhere, tousling Lydia's long hair. It died down as suddenly as it had come. Hoping no one would notice her furious blushing, Chloe scolded herself silently for her complete lack of control. She would have to do better, much better than that!

x-x-x-x-x

By the end of the second week, Chloe knew her new friends were not just ordinary school kids. There was something, she did not know what, but she noticed a few signs that told her to be wary. A sudden glow in Malia's eyes – were they brown or blue? – the way Lydia sometimes looked at someone or at nothing – like she was seeing things that were not there, or only there to her – Scott growling at Liam – growling, really? – or even the sudden static electricity that screwed up her hair every time she was near Kira. It all made her think that there was more to them than met the eye. But then again, who was she to be so suspicious? It's not like she told them everything anyway …

At first, they wouldn't tell her anything, they sometimes abruptly changed subjects when she sat down with them, but they never seemed annoyed by her presence, nor did they ever ask her to go away or even give them privacy. Everyone was very welcoming, especially Liam. Even though they had no classes together, she always would end up talking with him the most at lunchtime. He was easy to talk to and it made her feel instantly comfortable with him. Also, he was relatively new to the gang as well, so he somehow felt responsible for her integration. Stiles was a strange boy to say the least. As soon as he realised they both had the same sarcastic humor, they developed a strange, good-natured rivalry about who would get the best joke out first. Scott kept joking around and asking Chloe if she was sure that they weren't related in any way. He was one of the nicest persons she had ever met. Scott always saw the best side of everyone and made sure they knew about it. He was the kind of friend everybody would want. As for the girls, they were always nice with her, but Chloe never felt they had much in common. Kira was in the lacrosse team, Malia was definitely not a talkative person, and Lydia, even though she was very sweet and insisted they should have a girls'day soon, was somehow very intimidating to the new girl.


	3. Let it flow

**A/N: Hello there! Sorry I haven't updated in a month, but I just finished my finals, phew! I also edited the first two chapters to accommodate a major change in the future of the story. No more details, you'll have to wait and see …**

 **Chapter 3: Let It Flow**

One day, at lunch, Chloe had another slip-up, a bigger one this time. She was sitting down, talking with Liam about the new guy (or according to Scott, the former friend) Theo. He'd been hovering on the outer limits of her new circle of friends ever since the beginning of the term, and so far, they weren't on the same page as to how to deal with him. Scott wanted to welcome his old friend in his group, like no time had passed between them, but Stiles was beyond suspicious of him and kept telling his best friend not to trust the guy, that there was something wrong with him, and so on. He was so adamant about it that even Chloe, who had never even spoken to Theo and had thought he was pretty nice to look at, was getting nervous when she would see him in the hallways. She had to admit there was something just a little bit weird about the way he looked at her and her friends, like they belonged to him. It might just be cockiness, or there was more to him than met the eye as well …

A poke in the ribs cut her reflection short and made her jump on her chair, letting out a loud scream, her arms flailing. Stiles, because of course it was Stiles, was pushed back with such force he stumbled and skidded on the floor. People stopped talking around them and stared. Mortified, Chloe got up quickly and held out hr hand toward Stilinski.

"Dude, never scare a girl who's done martial arts. You're lucky to still have all your fingers!" she added, chuckling nervously under the stares.

Stiles followed her lead, but she didn't miss the terrified glance he shot at her extended hand before taking it. He took it anyway, trying to keep face, and sat down quietly at the table. He barely took part to the others' conversations until the end of the lunch break. Kira and Liam, on the other hand, became suddenly twice as talkative as before.

"You know martial arts? That's so cool" said Liam. He was apparently a fan of martial arts movies and would have kept going on about the merits of Chow Yun Fat, if Kira hadn't interrupted him.

"What type of martial arts do you know?"

"Oh you know, I've tried a few before finding one that suited me. I have basics in karate and judo, but I'm best at baritsu."

Lydia's head shot up at this. She shot a somewhat suspicious look at Chloe but said nothing. She wouldn't have been able to place a word anyway, because Kira and Liam were in the middle of a heated discussion about the Drunken Master movies, arguing whether or not the remake was better than the original.

Chloe felt guilt and shame tightening her stomach and she left the lunch table, her sandwich half-eaten. She hoped Stiles wouldn't think anything of this accident, that he'd be quickly distracted by more important matters, that he'd just forget what just happened. But luck was never on her side.

x-x-x-x-x

"Scott, I'm telling you, there was a good three inches between her hand and my body! She didn't push me, at least not physically."

The boys were in the locker room, changing before Lacrosse practice, and Stiles was losing it, or at least Scott thought so.

"Stiles be reasonable. How could she have done that?"

"I don't know, maybe she's got superpowers, maybe she's a powerful Sith who came here incognito to …"

"… to pass Econ' with Coach?" Scott interrupted. "Come on dude, Chloe doesn't have any supernatural vibe. We would have felt it by now. Besides, what kind of creature has that kind of mind powers? If you know any …"

"Weirder things have happened" Stiles answered from the depths of his jersey. "Come on Scott, this is Beacon Hills, an actual beacon, you know that. What doesn't happen here?"

"Nothing normal, I'll give you that."

They both grabbed their equipment and went out onto the field. It was a gorgeous Fall day outside, not a cloud in sight, no wind, and the sun was still warm on their backs as they did push-ups and practiced their aim, unaware that Chloe was sitting behind the bleachers, losing every last bit of self-control she had left.

x-x-x-x-x

Nothing worked. Every time she twitched her fingers, the wind would pick up and make her hair float around her face. It was easy to control when she could use it at will, but not so when she had to keep it under wraps. After almost an hour of concentrating with little result, tiny sparks of magic flaring up all around her without her say-so, she grew so frustrated that she had to bite in her beanie hat to keep herself from screaming.

And that's when it hit her, like a slap to the face. Something her mother used to say, over a decade ago, when Chloe was just a toddler who would sometimes cry without even knowing why.

"Pumpkin, your heart is like a big glass. It gets filled with all the emotions you feel everyday. Sometimes, it gets too full and it overflows. Sometimes you just need to let it flow, it's the only thing you can do."

She still used that phrasing sometimes with her mom, to explain away some morose feeling or just a bad day. Her heart was overflowing.

Right now her magic was overflowing. It had never happened before. She had total control over herself, at least most of the time. Well, if this was anything like too much emotions to get rid of, there was only one thing to do.

Let. It. Flow.

Chloe focused on her power, feeling it boiling inside her. She let her frustration rise up to the surface, the anger at having to keep her new friends at arm's length, at having no one around to talk to, at this transfer that changed so much in her life, at that hyperactive idiot who had scared her out of her skin today, at her shattering control. The more she concentrated, the more her power churned inside her, the more she wanted to scream. Her hands balled in fists at her sides, she fumed. And then lightning struck.

A distant rumble echoed on the field, the sound of thunder startling the players. Dark clouds had suddenly gathered from nowhere and the wind was rapidly picking up. Coach Finstock whistled, practice was over. He might have been known to be a hardass, he didn't want any of his star players electrocuted because they had their sticks up in a thunderstorm. They might need to skip a game! He sent all the boys back in the locker room. As Scott and Stiles were following the others, Stiles looked back around, checking that no equipment was left outside. What he saw had his jaw dropping.

A silhouette was coming towards the school, followed by the storm clouds. They seemed darker around her, they stuck to her soles and the wind was picking up strands of her hair, as if she was underwater and her hair was floating around her. Stiles tapped his best friend's shoulder, and the werewolf's eyes widened at the strange sight. Both boys stood frozen as the girl turned towards the main entrance of the school, her eyes looking up at the clouds. Stiles and Scott both did a double take when they saw her clearly. Was that Chloe?


	4. The plot thickens

**A/N: Hi there! It's been a while … The story is still a bit fuzzy in my head, but I'll manage to get it out of there, I promise!**

 **Also a big thanks to those of you who follow/review, it warms my heart! Love you all**

 **Chapter 4: The plot thickens …**

Her powers now under control, Chloe went to her locker to change books and get a dry hoodie. That outburst on the field had balanced her powers back immediately, but the storm was still raging outside. She didn't know if it had been created only by her own will or if there had been a storm coming in anyway that had only been triggered a little early. It was beginning to worry her that she didn't know exactly the extent of her abilities. What if the slip-ups became more frequent? What if this condition was permanent? What if …

"Hey Chloe!" A voice called out in the corridor. The young girl looked up from her locker to see Liam coming toward her with a strange smile on his face. It didn't look like the boy's normal grin, it seemed somehow awkward, maybe even forced.

"Hey Liam, what's up?"

"Oh nothing" he said, way too innocently for her to believe it. The sophomore was up to no good, she would bet money on it. "Weird weather we've had lately; don't you think?"

"Not really, isn't Fall weather always unpredictable? … Liam? What are you staring at?"

His eyes were on her neck. Her shirt wasn't low enough for him to be checking out her cleavage, so why was he staring at her neck?

"Who, me? Nothing! Is … Is that a new necklace? I've never seen it before." Liam started leaning toward her awkwardly as he spoke.

"What? No, it's just an old thing from summer camp. Are you okay? You don't seem like yourself today."

Liam looked up at this. His eyes bored into hers as he answered her, as if trying to convince her of what he was saying. He also started sniffing in her direction, like a dog on a scent. What the hell was wrong with him today?

"Me? I'm fine. Totally, completely fine. What about you, are you okay? Are you feeling like yourself today?"

"Of course not, I'm feeling like President Roosevelt! Liam you're being really weird. And you're sniffing me, stop that!"

For a split second, he looked caught in the act, but then he answered without missing a beat.

"What, no! I have allergies today. My nose just unblocked and it just feels great to breathe normally you know?" He punctuated his sentence by taking loud and long whiffs of air, filling his chest and looking even stranger than before. If she hadn't known him and his Lacrosse obsession, she could have thought he was on something.

"Oookaaaayyy … Well, I gotta get to class. See you later dude, good luck with those allergies."

He looked half-disappointed, half-relieved that this conversion was over.

"Uh yeah … 'kay, see ya!" Liam then hastily left her, going back the way he came, leaving a very puzzled girl behind.

x-x-x-x-x

"You guys are ridiculous, d'you know that?"

Liam was standing, arms crossed and scowling, against the lockers in the team's locker room. Scott was sitting, his legs on either side of the bench, wringing his hands, and Stiles was pacing up and down in front of them.

"No, no, no. Scott saw it too. There's something off or just plain wrong about this girl."

"Liam, did you notice anything off about Chloe, anything at all?" The Alpha was looking straight at his Beta. He needed the boy's honest opinion. Liam sighed.

"I told you, nothing. Except I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm a total spaz now. Thanks for that by the way."

Stiles was way too preoccupied to think about the Beta's finer feelings. Between his gut feeling about Theo's strange interest in their pack and girls spitting tar and feathers in the counselor's office, he was already getting back into his pattern of hypervigilance, and now this girl he thought was completely normal suddenly wasn't. There seemed to be an awful lot of weird people hovering around their little group and he felt threatened. His reactions already were getting harsher.

"Who cares what she thinks about you if she's an evil succubus from Hell trying to eat your soul!"

"Stiles we don't know that yet." Scott got up and joined his friend in pacing the room.

"She could just be a little special. You said it, stranger things have happened."

Liam started walking away.

"You guys can try to dissect her all you want, I'll bet she's just a normal kid and …"

Éstiles couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"Until proven otherwise!"

"Yeah yeah, fine. Don't say I didn't tell you when you embarrass yourselves!"

Liam then left them in the smelly locker room.

"He's got a crush on her, that's just great!"

Stiles was chewing his thumbnail. This would just keep bugging him all day. And now the young Beta was possibly falling for a monster of unknown origins. Stiles couldn't help but think that if the boy got maimed or possessed or whatever, it would be his own damn fault. He had shared his concerns and warned his friends, he couldn't do much more for now.

"Well she's a nice girl, you know. No matter what you think she might be. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, Chloe's not evil. She never even lied to us. I would know. I say we give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Until …"

"Until proven otherwise, I know Stiles."

x-x-x-x-x

The rest of the week felt awkward. The others seemed even more absorbed in their secret conversations than before. She sometimes pretended to read one of her books, just to see if they would speak more freely if they thought she wasn't listening. It never worked, Scott seemed to know exactly what was going on and would steer the discussions on safe topics whenever she was near.

Then one day, Malia and Scott came to see her during her free period.

She had taken to hanging out in the library, in a faraway corner where she could sit down, spread her school stuff around her, and never get disturbed by anyone. It wasn't as solitary as it seemed, with the others texting her some nonsense or seeing if she was down for a movie night soon. Chloe actually felt closer to the others when she wasn't directly with them. That way it wasn't evident that they were hiding stuff from her and that she wasn't really part of the gang. Not like Theo. He had finally weaseled his way in the group and he was automatically included in everything, even the stuff Chloe wasn't allowed to know. It frustrated her to a point she hadn't thought possible and made her resent him for no apparent reason, but they hadn't completely ostracised her yet so she was grateful for little mercies.

"What is it today?"

Scott had taken the habit of asking her about her books, since she had a new one practically every day. He stood there, with Malia next to him, looking awkward and nervous. Chloe paused for a second before answering. Scott had never ever looked nervous.

"I'm reading the Parasol Protectorate again. This is the second book, where the werewolf pack loses their powers and can't transform so they head to Scotland to find the cure to this 'uncurse'. It's one of my all time favorite books series, it's SO over-the-top steampunk, I love it!"

Malia and Scott exchanged a curious look for a second, like something she just said had reminded them of something else important. Scott still had the decency to feign interest in her little rant before surprising Chloe with a strange request.

"Speaking of steampunk, you're kind of an expert, right? That's actually why we're here. See we've got this book to read and report on, and I was wondering if you could maybe help us out, give us a few pointers and some links … If you're not too busy! It's okay if you can't."

Malia looked at him, then at Chloe sitting down on the ground, then back at the teenage boy and back down to her.

"Maybe you could just tell us if you've ever heard of this book, or this author. Internet is not giving us anything and we're a little desperate."

Chloe, still a little surprised, felt a slight twinge of bitterness at being asked to basically do their homework for them. Were they really just hanging out with her because she could be useful for schoolwork? No, that was a stupid reflection. They never asked her anything before, it just so happened that their assignment was on something she could help them with. Just like Lydia helping everyone else in Math. No, she was being overdramatic.

"Sure, what's it called?"

Instead of answering, Scott just pulled out a paperback copy of an old book, with three mysterious figures on the cover. It read 'The Dread Doctors' and she had never read that author's name before.

"Looks like it has seen better days. Right now it doesn't ring any bells, but let me have a look at it tonight and I should be able to help."

Malia smiled one of her rare genuine smiles, which were usually reserved for Stiles, and thanked Chloe for her help. The tall girl had nothing in common with Chloe and she rarely spoke. She seemed like a no-nonsense kind of girl, while Chloe was nothing if not a dreamer. They had never developed any kind of kinship, apart from the times they shared Lydia's notes while working in the library. They were both helpless in Math.

As soon as the other two went away, Chloe dropped her own book (she had read it five times anyway) to focus on this strange new thing that just fell on her lap. If the cover was to be trusted, it seemed like a steampunk horror book, one of her favorite kind. She acted cool and aloof in front of the others, but she was itching to devour the small tome in one sitting.


	5. Into the Woods

**A/N: Wow, new followers AND favorites? You guys are wonderful!**

 **As always, I own nothing except the main character.**

 **Chapter 5: Into the Woods**

"So. What can you tell us about that book?"

Trust Stiles to be blunt even at 8:15 in the morning.

It was the very next morning and, if it had been anybody else, it would have been a fruitless question. But of course Chloe had finished the book not long before dawn. It hadn't been as riveting as she thought at first, but she read on anyway. She was doing the others a favor after all. And no way was this boring book getting on the very short list of books she never could finish! Having 'Moby Dick' and 'The Shining' on that list already haunted her. That meant she hadn't gotten any sleep though, and that made her extra cranky.

"I can tell you that there's a tree stump somewhere in South America that weeps. This is such a waste of paper I can't believe no one ever ripped the pages off to start a fire! The deranged individual who wrote this piece of crap deserves to be drawn and quartered in public. There's no suspense, the characters are as one-dimensional as a Japanese manga comic sidekick, there's no clear ending and nothing to keep the attention of the reader. Even those 'Dread Doctors' are pitifully uninteresting, they have no clear intentions and they don't do anything to the kids, at least it's not explained and no one sees them after to witness it. Not exactly scary. No wit, no vocabulary, no story, no interest. Thank God someone somewhere saw the light and refused to print the second tome! That would have been downright blasphemous!"

The others looked at her with round eyes. She had never been so harsh about anything. They all knew she was the kind of person who either loves or hates, but her fury at this piece of crappy literature left them in shock for a moment. Stiles, as always, was the first one to speak again.

"So you haven't noticed anything weird about the book, or it hasn't reminded you of anything else, like a déjà vu or something?"

The crankiness went up another level.

"Of freaking course not, Stiles. Except maybe a blatant attempt at copying Stephen King's writing and failing miserably. It's as if 'Carrie' had put on Jason Voorhees' mask and tried to play Frankenstein with random teenagers. This piece of trash shouldn't be a mandatory reading in any class, that's for sure! Anyway, I'll try to give you guys a few pointers about the themes and stuff."

x-x-x-x-x

While in History class, Chloe was trying to catch up with her sleep in the back of the classroom, when she heard Scott and Stiles discussing the book in a low whisper.

"She said she saw nothing. I'm pretty sure that means she hasn't been in contact with them."

Stiles answered his best friend in a hurried voice.

"Maybe but she hasn't been totally herself lately. Did you hear her snap this morning? That was a very un-Chloe attitude if you ask me. What if she's hiding something …?"

"Stiles, come on. I thought we agreed to give her the benefit of the doubt. Nothing weird happened again around her, right?"

Stiles wasn't having it.

"Still, doesn't mean she is not involved with those creepy doctors. What if she's like Tracy? Dude we've gotta be careful around her."

She had heard enough. Chloe whipped her head up, grabbed her stuff and left the classroom without even a glance at the boys. Mr. Yukimura called after her, but she never looked back. She had to get out of this school. Those weren't her friends. What was she thinking? They never really involved her in their little secret club. She needed to be alone. Shoving open the doors, she started running and headed home at her fastest pace.

She used to run all the time back home, but she had lost the habit when she moved to Beacon Hills. It would have been disastrous if she got lost in town on a run. Now she realised that she had missed it terribly. She ran for a good half-hour before really heading home. Once there, she put on her recluse outfit (an old one-piece flannel pajama and her big woollen 'reading socks') and proceeded to drink a whole teapot while reading books or binge-watching 'Murdoch Mysteries'. Nothing better than a good historical detective story to make you forget that you have no friends. Plus, Constable Crabtree was adorable.

The next morning, Chloe felt like a big fat coward. She didn't want to see her pseudo-friends, didn't want to pretend to listen to the lectures, didn't want to make a public appearance at all. She took advantage of the fact that her mom was on the other side of the continent to call her at work and fake a sniffle. Her mom clearly had no way to know whether or not her daughter was really feverish, so she just called the school directly to excuse her child. Her last two days of the week were spent in an almost identical way as her Wednesday night, although at some point she switched to 'Penny Dreadful' to add some scary supernatural to her viewing list. Her phone stayed turned off.

Saturday brought on a slight change. Chloe was suddenly feeling like a caged animal at home. She wanted to go out, but didn't know what to do or if she should call the others, just in case. In the end she decided against it, she wasn't entirely sure how to deal with them. In an effort to get out of her rut, Chloe decided to go take a walk in the woods. She had seen them all around the small town and felt their quiet shade and emptiness call to her ever since she came here almost a month ago already. She could try to check out a running path at the same time. In a red hoodie and leggings, Chloe went out into the night. The moon was high in the sky already, lighting the girl's way. She wondered for a moment if the full moon was tonight or tomorrow.

The woods were especially gloomy in the cold moonlight. Chloe put on her earphones to shut out the world and started jogging down the path. The trees were taller and more spaced here than in the woods near her home. She was used to low branches and treacherous roots, not a clear path like here. It almost felt like the forest itself was showing her the way. She kept going deeper and deeper under the trees, to the rhythm of her songs.

Music had an almost magic effect on her, it channeled and changed her emotions in a way nothing else did. A sad love ballad could make her cry on the best day of her week, or a happy pop song could make her smile through tears and pain. Some songs made her act more aggressively, others lulled her to sleep.

The woods were darker and quieter than ever when she found herself at the end of the path, in a clearing, in front of an old and enormous tree stump. Chloe had been running at a fast pace, Avenged Sevenfold blaring in her ears, when she came up to it and had to stop abruptly. Losing her balance from the momentum, she put a hand on the old stump to keep from falling face first.

Chloe was shocked to feel energy flowing within the wood. She could always eel a certain energy coming off living things, be it a plant, a pet of a person, but this wasn't the ticklish flutter of a bird or the slow hum of a regular tree. This felt like a powerful rush of electricity, making her blood bubble up inside her. Her hand felt stuck to the bark and her own energy pulsed along with that of the ancient tree. It was exhilarating and scary at the same time. Her heart beating like a drumline, Chloe managed to remove her hand from the stump. Breaking contact somehow caused a surge of energy to escape from the wood, sending a shockwave around her, into the woods, and beyond. Stunned and breathless, Chloe stumbled away from the tree stump and shuffled back towards the path, back towards civilisation.

She was still over a mile away from the road when she began to hear rustling sounds in the woods around her. She kept going, half-walking and half-jogging, down the path and looked behind her at any noise. She was suddenly very nervous. Her discovery had shaken her up. The haunting feeling that she was being watched and followed crept up her neck and raised her hair. She was being paranoid, nobody was around. Nobody was around. She was jumping at shadows.

A loud growl rang in her ears, covering the music she had been listening to. Startled, Chloe turned around in a full circle, growing scared. She had read up on Beacon Hills before coming here. The town was almost famous for the savage animal attacks that had occurred a few years back. Just now it dawned on her how stupid she had been to venture into the woods alone at night. She could have slapped herself in the face if she hadn't been scared of making any sudden moves.

In the bushes, not far on her right, she saw what looked like a pair of yellow glowing eyes. That's it, she thought, she was dead. A huge creature jumped out of the foliage, its large jaws audibly snapping at her. She thought it was about as big as her, but she couldn't see much as it ran around her in a circle, always under cover. Just as it jumped directly at her, more rustle came from behind her as another enormous shadow emerged and collided with the first creature in mid-air. As both animals were tackling each other, she hastily backed up, right into someone's chest.

Air felt solid in her throat and the blood-curdling scream that wanted out of her chest stayed stuck. She turned around and suddenly Stiles had his arms around her and kept speaking in her ear in a soothing tone.

"It's okay Chloe, it's okay. You're okay, you're safe now."

Her heart beating as fast as a hummingbird's, she was gulping air as if she'd been drowning a moment ago. Still shaken, holding onto Stiles' flannel shirt like onto a life jacket, she turned her head around and froze mid-breath.

It was Scott and Liam. The boys were on the ground, fighting each other. Their eyes were glowing yellow and red; their fangs were out. They had fangs, for God's sake!

Suddenly Scott, who had gotten back to his feet, let out a terrifying howl that reverberated throughout the forest. Chloe hid in Stiles' jacket again, shutting her eyes tightly and tensing up. She was petrified. After a few moments of Stiles petting her hair and back, she turned around once again. Scott was helping Liam off the ground and both boys came over to where Chloe stood, still clutching Stiles with all her might. Their faces were back to normal, just as she always saw them in school. Scott looked at her, a sad, apologetic look on his face.

"Hey Chloe, are you hurt? Chloe, I'm so sorry we've scared you …"

"Scott, Stiles interjected, she's shaking like a leaf. I think we should get her home, like right now."

"Alright, we'll take your Jeep."

Scott and Stiles helped steer a mute, trembling Chloe to the road and to the battered blue Jeep, while Liam trudged slowly behind, head low in shame. She sat in the passenger seat, Scott and Liam in the back. The boys drove her home and, as soon as they all were inside, Chloe went straight to the kitchen and started the kettle. Still silent and shaking, she made a teapot and served them four cups of steaming hot Earl Gray. They sat in silence around the kitchen table as she took a few sips.

"Thank the British for bergamot tea." She put her mug down. "So now that I've gotten lost in the woods, electrocuted by a tree and scared half to death, can you guys please tell me what the Hell is going on? I hate not being in the know."

They stared at her, flabbergasted. She took another sip, waiting.


	6. Around the Teapot

**A/N: Hi everybody! I'm on a roll this week! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This one is a wee bit smaller than the others, but Oh, so interesting!**

 **Sweet-sweet thanks to those who read and/or follow and/or favorite and/or review, I love getting your feedback!**

 **Chapter 6: Around the Teapot**

By the time Scott was done talking, the teapot had been filled and emptied three times. Stiles had chimed in on several occasions to add details or correct Scott, but Liam had kept quiet, wringing his hands, still ashamed of his lack of control.

"… So we were at Lydia's lake house for the full moon, but when Liam got out and ran off in the woods, we followed him. And then we found you."

Chloe stayed silent for a minute, looking into her cup of tea, swishing its contents left and right.

"You think this is all crazy, right?"

Stiles looked like he was trying to figure out if she believed them, Liam still looked like a sad puppy, and Scott just looked tired at the end of his narrative.

"No Stiles, I'm thinking that maybe I should put something stronger in that cup."

"Like what?"

"Either Darjeeling or straight up Scotch, she answered, deadpanned. So you two are werewolves, Stilinski here is a former possession victim, Lydia is a banshee, Kira is … something I've yet to understand, and Malia is a werecoyote. Ever thought about starting a supernatural zoo around here?"

Stiles, who now saw that Chloe was talking the news about the underlying supernatural world of Beacon Hills quite well, was back to his inquisitive self.

"Sure, what cage do you fit in?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Stiles wouldn't let go now that he knew she had something to hide, he could almost smell the evasiveness on her. He had known she wasn't normal for a while now, and he was ready to wrestle a confession out of her, whatever it took.

"It means that you were out in the woods at night on a full moon, Chloe. Not many normal people do that, especially not here in Beacon Hills. Now why don't you tell us what you were doing prancing around under the trees, huh?"

The boy's tone of voice and accusations made Chloe instantly furious. Wasn't he the one who had tried to calm her down an hour ago? Didn't he remember how terrified she had been at the sight of a pair of werewolves fighting? She replied in a clipped voice, between her teeth.

"I was out for a jog, you twit. I went running, I got lost and I ended up at this old tree trunk in the middle of nowhere. It felt weird there so I got back on the path towards home and then you guys came barreling right into me, with your claws and fangs and … and flashlight eyes, remember that?"

At that, all eyes were on her. She blushed, uncomfortable under the boys' scrutiny. Stiles was simply beside himself at this point.

"OH MY GOD, you got to the Nemeton?! You just found it, just like that? Well that's what I call undeniable proof. You can't find that place unless it wants you to find it. It's a beacon for the supernatural, Chloe. If you found it, it means you're something. Now tell us. Come on, spill."

Chloe was now supremely confused by the hyperactive boy's antics. But Scott too seemed very preoccupied by her discovery. He was leaning forward, a hand on her shoulder.

"Chloe this is serious. That stump is a sacred place, it's extremely powerful. If you have any connection to it, we need to know. It's what brought a lot of supernatural trouble our way lately."

They were freaking her out. She thought about her hand on the wood of the stump, about the energy she felt, the power hidden in there, and she felt guilty for touching it. She felt like she should go wash her hand with soap or lava or something. Scott must have felt her sudden uneasiness, because he looked her dead in the eye.

"What happened at the Nemeton?"

Chloe took a deep, calming breath.

"I was just running, I do it all the time.I didn't know I was gone so deep in the forest, but then I got to that clearing all of a sudden. There was the old tree stump right in front of me, so I tried to stop. I almost fell and I put my hand on it to get steady. That's when I felt it. I felt … a living energy. It's something I've always been able to feel coming off anything living. Even you guys, you give off some king of energy when I'm around you. It feels different depending on what it comes from; plants and trees, animals or humans. Just so you know, a normal plant will feel slow and soft. It's like I can almost feel the sap flowing inside them."

A few hours ago, she would have denied everything about her powers to avoid looking like a crazy person in front of her friends. Now though, she felt like she owed them the truth, and she knew they would never see her as crazy. Their world was ever crazier than her own. After another quick sip, she kept going, pouring out everything about that night.

"But that stump … It's like comparing a slight humming to an earthquake. That was the most powerful living thing I ever touched in my whole life. I didn't even know anything could be this powerful. Touching it was like sticking forks in a wall plug, or playing with boosting cables. I felt electrified and … and when I took my hand off, there was like, like a huge shockwave that went off and escaped."

Liam suddenly joined the conversation.

"That's what I felt! There was a burst of energy around me, it hit me right on and that's when I lost control of the change. I just reacted on instinct, I needed to find out what had caused it. I ran to the Nemeton, I didn't even know where I was headed, but when I smelled your scent there … I'm really sorry, Chloe. I can't believe I ran after you like that. You know I would never want to hurt you, don't you?"

Chloe was still pretty shaken up by her encounter with his hairier side, but now that his face was back to normal and his big blue eyes were giving her a sad-puppy look, Chloe almost felt pity for the boy.

"Aww, isn't he adorable? That's it, from now on I'm calling you Puppy."

The yellow glowing eyes reappeared for a second, but Stiles and Scott were already laughing. Liam chuckled lightly with them for a while, but they hadn't forgotten the question she had yet to answer. Scott grew serious again and looked her straight in the eyes. He oozed Alpha confidence. Now that she was seeing it, Chloe couldn't believe she had missed it before.

"You can trust us, Chloe. We know that you're no ordinary girl. And we're not exactly an ordinary bunch of kids either. You have nothing to fear from us, I swear. So, what are you?"

This was it. To tell the truth could make or break everything between them. To lie would just break down whatever trust they had in her. They would know instantly, just through her heartbeat. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she prepared to do the one thing her mother had always forbidden her to do. It felt like a betrayal, yet at the same time, Chloe knew it was the right thing to do, the only thing to do.

"You're right. I'm not normal. I'm part of the supernatural, just like you guys. I'm … I'm a witch."


	7. Lunchtime Lessons

**A/N: Hey everyone! So-so-so-sorry for not updating this summer. The last months have been ridiculously busy. Anyway, here's a new chapter for you, tell me what you think!**

 **Thanks and hugs &kisses to all those who review and follow/fav the story, you rock!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TEEN WOLF nor anything else I might reference here. Thanks :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 : Lunchtime Lessons**

"A witch?"

Lydia's face was thoughtful, while Kira's was simply incredulous.

"Yeah" Chloe said, dreading the girl's reaction.

"D'you mean like a New Age witch?"

"Kira come on, do I look like some Mother Nature-loving soccer mom who prances around naked in the woodlands, trying to get in touch with her inner goddess?" Chloe looked them dead in the eyes. "I'm not, that has nothing to do with my type of craft. My power comes from my mother's bloodline, it's hereditary."

Luckily for Chloe, the cafeteria was full today, due to the crappy, windy-rainy weather outside. Nobody seemed to care about their little group's discussion. Kira raised a timid hand from across the table.

"So … What kind of powers do you have, concretely?"

"To put it simply, it's a form of aerokinesis. It means I have some mild control over the element of air. I can make it warmer or colder, create or control some air flows. That's how I pushed Stiles off the other week. I have some influence over the weather, but that part is still pretty fuzzy, I need to work on that."

The girls seemed quite impressed. Lydia was turned in her seat next to Chloe, looking at her with renewed attention, like some new life form had just landed on her lap. Kira's eyes were still bulging slightly but her mouth wasn't agape anymore. Someone else had his eyes fixated on her too. Theo, seated across from Lydia, was staring at the little witch with almost feverish eyes, and he still had this annoying little smirk. Liam asked a question from his side of the table.

"So Chloe, d'you think you can maybe do something about the weather outside? We've got Lacrosse practice in like 20 minutes."

Keeping her condescending tone in check, although she needed all her willpower to do it, she answered "Of course, pup. I could make it rain harder so the clouds could clear faster, or maybe try to push them further away, but that's not an exact science and as I said, I'm not really good at it. I might just end up making the day colder and wetter."

Liam, duly chastised, changed subject quickly and the other boys, who all knew about her peculiar powers since last Saturday, joined in. Lydia wasn't done asking question though.

"Okay, explain yourself. You said you have control over air, right? Is it always the same for your bloodline? Are there other witches who can do stuff with other elements? Could you, maybe, control other elements too?"

Kira had turned her attention to the Lacrosse discussion so for now it was just Lydia and Chloe. The banshee seemed much less intimidating now. Knowing what she was took away the aura of mystery and danger the redhead had. Right now they could have been a couple of normal girls talking about make up, boys, or other normal stuff. Almost.

"Okay, ehhh … Where do I start? In theory I could, yes. Every witch is initially connected with a single element, but if you develop your powers and if you study hard, you can, theoretically, expand your realm of power to fire, water, or even earth."

"But that's all in theory. In real life no witch has ever controlled all four elements. It's already hard to try and control one part of the universe, imagine all of them! The 4 elements are very different. Mine is Air, which is pretty weak itself, but easy to control and fun enough. Water is also weak in general, but it can be pretty powerful if the witch herself is. Fire is powerful but dangerous and hard to control, flighty. And then there's Earth. It's like THE most powerful element there is, but it takes years to master it, it's almost a lifelong quest, and that's for those who start off with it. It is virtually impossible to learn it if it's not your first power."

"Okay, so … How much control d'you have really? Like, how would you be considered by other witches? And is it always just girls? And when do you get your powers, are you born with them or do they just appear one morning, pop?"

Chloe should've known to expect so many questions from her friend. Lydia was a genius, after all. Not only that, she was also the most level-headed one of the gang. Scott, Stiles, Kira, they were all very nice, but there was something, like a dark cloud hovering over their heads lately. It worried Chloe and made her want to do something for them. For now, she'd settle for giving her friend all the information she needed.

"Well, I'm not immensely powerful, being an air-witch and all, but I'm a very fast learner and apparently I have a remarkable amount of control for someone my age. See, we get our powers at 13. I was in total control of mine by my fourteenth birthday. They have grown steadily ever since, so it seems I'm not half-bad as far as my craft goes. And yes, it's passed down through the maternal bloodline. If one of us has a son, he will pass it on to his own daughter, but he'll never get any powers himself. It's kind of unfair and sexist, but that's just the way it is. Just like male pattern baldness."

"So do you have to wiggle your nose or pull your ear, like in 'Bewitched' or something?"

Theo's low voice made Chloe jump. She hadn't realized that he was still following the discussion, very closely too, if the way he was leaning on the table towards them was any indication. His trademark smirk was still in full force. Chloe exaggerated an eye roll and glared at him for a second. The wind suddenly picked up in the middle of the cafeteria and threw a napkin in his half-eaten plate of spaghetti, then died down almost immediately.

"Did you see any nose wiggle or ear pulling there?"

He chuckled, still looking at her with undivided attention.

"Nothing but a death glare. Any other tricks you want to show me?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. Was he flirting with her again? It had been going on for a while now, she had noticed how he would often be looking her way or always found himself right next to her in class. She wasn't oblivious to his efforts, to be honest. He was everything she liked in a guy: confidant, mature, laid back, and smokin' hot. The fact that he was a werewolf as well only added to his charm, really. The little witch had always found the idea of howling at the full moon and the dual nature of werewolves quite fascinating. She had immediately peppered the boys with questions about their powers as soon as she had calmed down last weekend. They had been reluctant to tell her about Theo's status at first, Scott saying it wasn't their secret to tell, but Stiles would have none of that and wanted 'complete transparency between supernatural beings from now on'.

Before she could come up with a witty and biting reply, the ill-timed bell rang, sending everyone on their way to class. Lydia locked arms with Chloe and both girls walked to Miss Kent's English class.

* * *

"Promise I'll be your Maid Of Honor for the wedding."

Chloe gaped at Lydia's remark while they were getting their books out.

"What the Hell do you mean by that?"

The redhead gave her a knowing look for a second before answering, like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"Theo was almost ready to eat you up in the middle of the cafeteria. Don't pretend you haven't noticed, I see you blushing. Now, what are you gonna do about him?"

Miss Kent came in the class, efficiently stopping Chloe's comeback and beginning the lesson on Jane Austen's Pride & Predjudice. Wow, everytime she was about to defend herself, today, she never could get it out. Talk about systematic bad timing!

 **\- So ?**

Lydia couldn't help herself, meddling in her friend's love life was the most normal and enjoyable thing she had done in a long time! So she just sent Chloe a text, meaning to keep the discussion going no matter what.

 **\- So ... idk Lyd, what do i do?**

Eye roll from the banshee, who could not believe this girl, seriously!

 **\- what do u want to do? & the answer better be him!**

Quiet gasp from the witch, who looked like she couldn't get enough air in her lungs, ironically.

 **\- lydia martin u vicious trollop :P**

 **\- but seriously, what do i do? idk how to act around guys i like :,(**

The messaging stopped for a minute, just enough time for Lydia to correct the teacher on some random fact about Austen's life.

 **\- if u like him jump on him ! if u dont tell him to back off**

A few quiet seconds of thought on Chloe's side, folowed by a defeated sigh.

 **\- do i have to jump really?**

At this point Lydia was beaming and practically dancing on her seat.

\- **i ll coach u ;)**

* * *

 **Don't forget to review to tell me how you like it so far, it's what keeps me going !**


	8. Literary Pursuits

**A/N: Hey! I've been tweeking details on this story and I just wanted to let you guys know that my timeline isn't 100% the same as the show. I felt season 5 was a bit rushed sometimes, so I slowed the pace a bit, so we can better enjoy the terrible events happening *insert evil laugh here***

 **Disclaimer: As always , I own nothing I might reference here, show, music, books, etc ...**

* * *

He was doing it again, dammit! Theo was sitting right behind her in Math class, the only one where Chloe was alone with him. Three days had passed since she'd admitted to Lydia that she liked Theo, and the little witch had yet to make her interest known to him. Lydia's suggestion to ravish him in Coach's office had not helped ease Chloe's nerves, far from it. Now she couldn't look at the boy without blushing furiously and having a coughing fit. And, of bloody course, his own behaviour wasn't helping either. He was always brushing against her in the corridors, sitting in her immediate vicinity in class, and looking at her with that damned look in his eyes, like the wolf part of him wanted to eat her raw. It set Chloe's nerves on edge, and there she sat, ramrod straight in her chair, while Theo was less than a foot behind her in his seat, breathing. His breathing was enough to make her forget to listen to the teacher's droning voice. She could feel it rustling her curls when he exhaled softly, she could hear him breathing in her scent, and it wrecked her fragile concentration.

The fourth time she heard him sniffing, she suddenly snapped. Turning around quickly, accidentally whipping her hair in his face, she glared at the pretty boy.

"Do you need a tissue?" she angrily whispered. "Because it sure as Hell sounds like you do."

His lips pulled up in his trademark cocky smirk, the one that made Chloe's knees wobble. The badass little half-smile made his cheekbones stand out and his perfect teeth shine. If she hadn't had a major crush on him, she could have hated him for being too perfect. On the inside, she was turning to goo, plain and simple, but on the outside, she just glared and furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"You've been sniffling since class started and it's annoying. Either blow your nose or just stop breathing altogether!"

"Sorry Cupcake, I'll try to be quiet, for your sake." He then winked at her. She just rolled her eyes dramatically before turning back around. He was toying with her, the little bastard! He knew getting called a pet name like that made her fume, she had been clear on this. Ever since that one time Stiles called her Cupcake for no reason at all, Theo had done the same, even though Chloe had stated, loud and clear, that she hated it. Stiles had had the decency to stop immediately, but not the new beta.

It was times like this when Chloe, flushed and annoyed out of her right mind, risked doing something rash she might regret. She was already wondering if Theo's little smirk would falter if she turned around and kissed him squarely on the lips, right now. That train of thought could only lead to some really, really bad decisions!

Too late, she had lost her focus on the course and was starting to get lost in her own head. She thought about Stiles' warnings and bad vibes and such. She should trust Stiles and his gut feelings, right? He had quickly grown to be one of her closest friends, and even though she would never be as close to him as Scott, she and Stiles often talked, face to face or on the phone. Bouncing off his ideas aloud to someone else helped the boy get his mind straight. He was worried about Scott's willingness to trust everyone immediately. Sometimes that made the human sound quite paranoid, but past experience showed he might be in the right. Chloe knew nothing about kanimas and assassins, but she was willing to let Stiles talk her ears off, and she offered an outsider's input whenever she could. The fact that he had a perpetual bad feeling about Theo was pretty much the only negative point she could find about her crush. She wondered what could cause Stiles' discomfort. If she could find out more about Theo, get to know him a little more, maybe she could help set her friend at ease. In her already mushy mind, this idea sounded alright, if a bit self-serving.

Her line of thought was cut short by the crush in question, his breath stirring strands of her hair again. He must have been only a few inches away. Why did he always get so close? Didn't he know anything about personal space and boundaries? Being a werewolf should mean he could smell he from a greater distance, no?

While the teacher was busy helping another student with a problem, Chloe, without turning, whispered to him.

"You're doing it again, Theo. Why do you have to get this close, really? It's getting on my nerves."

His hushed voiced came from right next to her ear, making her heart skip a beat.

"What if I wanna be this close to you?"

A tingle ran up and down hr back at his words. Her breath didn't hitch, but she knew the werewolf could hear her quickening heartbeat perfectly. She took a second to compose herself before answering him.

"What about what I want?"

She felt his fingers twirling a strand of her dark brown locks.

"Well, why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll see what I can do for you."

Thank goodness she was still facing the front of the class, because she was blushing like a tomato just because of his voice. He had a definite flirtatious tone that was driving her crazy. The hothead part of her wanted to answer with just 'you' and a steamy make out session, but Chloe quickly conjured a soft draft of cold air to cool down and take her blush away. It didn't even ruffle her loose hair. It was definitely the last time she came to school without tying it down!

"What _do_ you want, Chloe?"

Hearing him whisper her name was almost worst than the pet-name and sent another shiver up her spine. He was really pulling a number on her! She'd be lucky if she didn't swoon right there in the middle of the classroom. The young witch had to use all her self-restraint not to turn around, but she knew looking at him would not help her case.

Chloe Bellamy was an outrageous flirt. She would always have fun trying to make people incredibly uncomfortable with eyelash batting, winks and flirty remarks, but this talent just evaporated into thin air whenever she was interested in the person she was talking to. She became almost as much a spaz as Stiles, she could barely align three syllables without stuttering, and she blushed at nothing. So it was with great effort that she managed to get her retort out.

"I know what I don't want, and I don't want to fail this class. I don't want to be disrupted in my studies because I have a hard time understanding Math, and I don't want you hovering in my personal space because it's disturbing to have you breathing down my neck."

She was remarkably proud of herself at that moment. She got her message through loud and clear and she hadn't turned into a mushy pile of awkward on the floor just because he had flited with her. Her smug smile was wiped off her face when the teacher's voice rang out though.

"Miss Bellamy, Mr. Raeken, detention tonight, the both of you."

Ah crap! She should have kept her voice in check, dammit! Now they both would have to stay after school.

When the bell rang, she kept her head down and slowly picked up her stuff and feigned to be fascinated by something deep within her backpack when Theo got up to leave, but she still heard him say 'see you after school Cupcake' before passing her by. She let out a long held sigh. Getting them both stuck in detention was not one of her proudest moments. She was even more embarrassed to be with him now that she knew she owed him an apology. But then, the boy-crazy part of her brain reminded her that she would get to spend some time alone with Theo tonight. She could set her plan to know him better in motion right away. Trust her to turn an embarrassing detention into an occasion to flirt. Right, as if she could actually flirt with him less than 50 feet away! It was going to be a long day.

* * *

That afternoon, they were both left in the library to re-shelf books. It was a lenient punishment, really. They could have been stuck with much worse, but Chloe still felt bad for getting them in there in the first place. After a quick muffled apology, she tried to get on with it as fast as she could, hoping that she could at least get them out of there faster. She tried her hardest to relax and not stress over the gorgeous guy following her around the library, but he was making it very difficult for her, in his tight long-sleeve shirt, his jeans hugging him in all the right places and if she hadn't already been mortified, she would have been ogling his butt shamelessly. She avoided looking at him altogether, until he insisted they should unite forces to get out of there even faster.

"I'll give you the books, you shelf them. We'll be out in no time, trust me."

Of course he said it with one of his damn little grins, so she just smiled tightly and nodded, not trusting her voice right now. He tried small talk, and she did her level best to ask questions and sound interested, without going into full interrogation mode, but she just couldn't focus with in such close proximity. Gosh, the boy was like kryptonite to her! She didn't want to even consider what would happen if they ever got together, her brain would just turn off and never go on again. The first complete sentence she got out flawlessly was when she turned back and saw him leafing through a Twilight book. She swatted him on the arm.

"Hey! Stop reading and help me. I wanna get the Hell out of here!"

He closed the book and gave it to her, chuckling.

"Did you just tell me to stop reading? You? The girl who reads a book a day?"

She placed the book and answered without looking at him.

"Yeah I did. Anyway that wasn't really worth reading, you know …"

She turned and saw him, with his back against the bookcases, with his lips set in a slight pout and his eyes trained on her from underneath his criminally long eyelashes.

"I kinda liked those books …"

He looked so shy, so sweet right there, Chloe wasn't sure she was staring at the same Theo Raeken.

"Really? Personally I couldn't finish 5 chapters. It wasn't my kind of story, I couldn't relate to the characters, but most of all it's the writing that turned me off. It's just not for me I guess. But I'm curious, what did you like about them?"

He shuffled along, handing her books again.

"I don't know, really. I never analyze the whole thing like you do, but I guess it's the idea of love at first sight and forever. Wanting to spend your whole life with someone, being ready to fight the whole world for the one you love … I think it's a nice idea."

For a second, Chloe was speechless.

"Okay when you put it like that, I can understand. But personally, I'm partial to the slow burn of a well written and well developed love story. Love doesn't strike like lightning, it grows on you and you don't realize it's happening until you're up to your neck in feelings."

There was an eerie moment of silence as Theo looked at her and she at him. She suddenly felt very naked, standing in front of him, talking about love.

"Do you have any favorite books like that? Maybe I could give them a try."

"Well, Pride & Prejudice is a classic, and you can't get any slower than that really. I know most guys wouldn't touch a Jane Austen book with a ten-foot pole and think it's borderline Harlequin romance, but I just love it! I read it so many times! You might like Northanger Abbey better, though. It's more your kind. There's also the Shadow Falls series, the Ruby Red series –"

"The romances in Harry Potter are pretty slow too, aren't they?"

She stopped pushing the cart and swatted him on his rock-hard bicep again.

"I said a well developed romance, nitwit! None of the pairings in there make any sense whatsoever. Hermione would have been unhappy with Ron, she needed someone to challenge her brain, to keep her on her toes. And don't get me started on Harry and Ginny, these two only ended up together out of sheer laziness and convenience. I was so, so disappointed by that …"

Theo chuckled as they went down another row. Chloe felt a thousand times more comfortable with him now. She was on her home turf, books, and it was a rare treat for her to be able to talk _with_ someone about them, instead of talking _at_ someone. She was quickly relaxing in the oh-so-handsome boy's company.

While they were in the English Literature section, Chloe was surprised and intrigued to see Theo hiding a copy of Dracula behind other books on a high shelf.

"Okay I have to ask, what are you doing with the Count?"

He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. She saw the muscles under his sleeves bulges as he moved and gulped, a little sliver of nervousness coming back.

"I know it's stupid, but I never got to read it before and it's supposed to be a great classic. I'll just leave it there so no one can borrow it before I do."

"You know I have a copy at home that you could borrow if you wanted. You don't have to stash books like a quirrel stashing nuts!"

"I might take you up on that."

He handed her a large volume on Chaucer. It was one of the last they had to place and Chloe had to admit she was kind of sorry their time together was coming to an end. She looked around, but couldn't see where the book should go. She kept looking around for a minute before Theo interrupted her.

"Here, I see where it goes."

He picked up the book from her hands. His fingers grazed the back of hers and sent a shiver up her arm and back. Chloe was definitely not averse to the feeling, but she blushed and felt her nervousness dry up her throat.

Theo was stretching his arm up to reach the highest shelf, his other hand still resting on the cart. He was almost enclosing Chloe between his extended limbs. She was acutely aware of the closeness between them.

"There, hand me the other volume, too."

He was still stretching to get the book in, so she loked at the remaining books, not seeing the second tome.

"Where is it? Are you sure there's – "

She was interrupted by his lips gently pressing against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breath hitched. It only lasted a couple seconds or so. She opened her eyes to see Theo's face hovering clos above hers, the cocky grin wiped right off his features, his blue eyes big and uncertain.

"I … Sorry. I've been wanting to do that for a while now. Sorry, I-I shouldn't have – "

He was stuttering slightly and shifting nervously on his feet.

"You don't have to."

Chloe's voice was quiet, almost husky. Theo looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Don't be sorry. Do I look like I didn't want it?"

For a second, Theo stood still, unsure. Then he kissed her again, this time REALLY kissed her. He had one hand cradling her head, the other slowly reaching hers. Their fingers intertwined before he stopped, coming back up for air.

This time, they didn't say anything. They both just grinned widely at each other, before kissing again.

* * *

 **Okay, so this happened! Please tell me what you think of it, I'm dying over here! Please please please, pretty please review! THings are going to start going cray-cray soon, tell me what you think is going to happen to Chloe?**

 **Until next time, enjoy!**


	9. Coven And Coffee

**Hey there! So, I already said that I mixed up the timeline a little and this chapter is a very good example of that. Don't worry, we'll get to the big scary action soon enough.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Coven and Coffee**

Theo did borrow Chloe's Dracula when he dropped her off home right after detention. There was also a fair amount of kissing involved, enough for Chloe to wonder how in the world they were to keep their budding romance under wraps. Theo had asked for discretion, after all.

 _They were about to leave the library, but Theo caught Chloe's arm and pulled her back. He looked at her with uncertain eyes._

" _Hey d'you … do you think we could maybe … maybe not tell the others right away?"_

" _Well … I guess we could. But why?"_

 _He hesitated for a second before answering. "It's because there's so much going on with the Chimeras and I … I don't want to distract the others with … us. That and I wouldn't want someone to try and hurt you because they think they can get to me, because they would. Definitely."_

 _Chloe nodded at the gorgeous boy, who didn't let go of her arm. Instead, he pulled her back to him and kissed her again. They were never getting out of there at this rate._

That Sunday afternoon was a gloomy rainy day, again. Stiles had said something to Chloe a few days ago about the weather being all over the place lately. The words were innocent, but the tone and look the hyperactive boy used were clear. He thought she was responsible in a way for the crappy weather they were having. That lead to a nasty argument between them and Chloe was, again, ruminating at home, alone. Scott was off somewhere with Kira, Stiles and Lydia, Theo said he was scouring the woods, trying to find out what the massive holes in the ground were about, Liam was trying to break out the news of his lycanthropy to his best friend Mason, and Malia was just doing … whatever it was she did. Chloe still barely spoke with the werecoyote on a regular basis. They had nothing in common, really, nothing at all.

So that left the little witch sitting on her sofa, watching Love Actually for the tenth time. She missed home terribly today. Looking at the clock, she sighed. Her mom would be back from her hike by now, she could call.

"Hello? This is Felicia."

"Hi Mom!"

"Oh Chloe, sweetheart, hi! How are you doing? You're calling early, is everything alright?"

Trust a mother's instincts.

"Meh, it's been raining for a couple days now, it's getting cold outside. I don't know, I guess I've got the blues. I miss home …"

"Oh sweetie, I'm so-so sorry to hear that. But don't worry, when I get there, we'll go shopping together and we'll eat out, every day for a week if you want! You could even skip a class or two, once in a while. We'll spend so much time together you'll get sick of me, I promise. How does that sound, honey?"

"Sounds perfect Mom. By the way, did you finally get a date for your official transfer?"

There was a short silence on the end of the line.

"Oh, not yet sweetie. But don't worry, it shouldn't be long now. You know how those things are!"

And suddenly, Chloe broke down in loud, wet sobs on the phone. She hadn't meant to, but she just really, REALLY needed her mommy today.

"S-sorry Mom. I'm just … I miss you so much lately an-and it feels like you're never coming down here and I … I feel so alone today."

It broke Felicia Bellamy's heart to hear her daughter crying over the phone like that. She tried to cheer Chloe up as much as she could.

"Ohh Chloe, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I really wish I could be there with you right now. But it's going to be okay, honey. You are strong, baby. You just have to be strong a little while longer. It's for your own good. Just, stay with your friends, it'll make time fly by, trust me …"

Chloe had stopped listening a moment ago, stuck on something her mother just said.

"My own good? Wh-What d'you mean, Mom?"

Chloe's mom let out a pained sigh.

"Ahh crap. Chloe, sweetie, my baby … This is not the time for this talk. You're upset and tired, sweetheart. You should go take a warm bath, it'll do …"

"No, what did you mean, Mother? I wanna know, now."

After a long silence, so long Chloe almost thought her mother had hung up on her, Felicia finally answered in a pained voice.

"It was a coven decision to send you away, Chloe. They … They saw something in you when you were born. They think you're a danger to the coven, to all of us."

Another moment of silence, filled with tension, this time.

"How? How am I a menace to the coven? HOW?"

"Because your powers are going to swell out of proportions and by your Ascension you'll be incapable of exerting any control over them. Your power will consume you and you will in turn consume the coven in a terrible catastrophe."

Chloe was stunned. The words her mother was speaking made no sense to her.

"WHAT?! What the Hell are these old cuckoos on? How could you not tell me about this Mom? FUCK!"

"Chloe, sweetie, please understand me. I didn't believe them, not until the last year. I thought it couldn't be you, I thought: 'not my baby girl, there's a mistake' but there was no mistake, honey. All the signs pointed to you."

"What signs?"

"Elder Cressida read your fortune when you were 6 months old. What she saw … She said you would be powerful, terrifyingly so. She told us that your powers would grow, then multiply, faster and faster, until you couldn't control them anymore. Then, your Ascension would be the end of all of us, your powers becoming too much, not just for your own mind, but even for your body. You would consume the whole coven in fire and death and disappear along with your whole lineage."

Felicia's voice had grown sepulchral as she spoke the fateful words she heard all those years ago. It had broken her heart then, and it was breaking her heart all over again now.

"You see why I never told you? I couldn't tell my baby daughter that she was destined to kill us all. Even if it were true, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I tried to protect you, any way I could. This move, Chloe, this is my last resort. I thought that, if you weren't here, you couldn't set ablaze the whole community. Maybe it could save you, maybe this old witch would be wrong! I needed to do something, sweetheart, I saw it coming. It's already begun. Your powers have been growing, more and more, you're already having trouble controlling yourself and your Ascension is still months away. I only wanted to protect you, to keep you safe …"

Chloe snorted, angry and hurt.

"Just like King Stephen in Sleeping Beauty, burning all the spinning wheels of the kingdom, and look how that turned out!"

"Chloe, sweetie, it's not …"

"No Mother, it's exactly the same from where I'm standing. I'm cursed. I'm gonna lose control of my powers, go insane and on my 18th birthday, I'll die. I'm cursed!"

She hung up before her mother could add to her misery. She was cursed to die in a few months, and, until it happened, she had been exiled to the other end of the country because she was just that dangerous.

The little witch felt even more alone than before. She needed someone there with her at any cost. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed her phone and sent a text to Lydia.

 **Hey R U free 2 come over? I need a HUG**

Within ten seconds, she had an answer.

 **R U OK? Is it Theo?**

Lydia was the only one who knew about Chloe and Theo, because of course she would know. Just by the happy look on Chloe's face, she had guessed something had happened between the two teenagers. After only one class the next morning, she had dragged the brunette in the girls' bathroom to get all the juicy details. No matter how much she tried, the redhead wouldn't let her off the hook until she had heard everything there was to hear about 'the Couple Detention', including Chloe's impressions on Theo's kissing methods, which came in a range of expletives. It had felt good to share that part of her life with a friend, which made her turn to Lydia Martin once again when some enormous emotional brick fell on her.

 **No, witch stuff … and mom stuff**

 **We R on our way**

Wait, 'we'? Who was 'we'? Who was she with? Chloe went to start her kettle and then proceeded to pace her living room nervously, waiting for her friend. Minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow, until she heard multiple quick rings of her doorbell. Stiles? The boy was the only one to abuse her doorbell like that. And, sure enough, Lydia was next to him at the door.

"Thanks for coming, you two. I hope I wasn't interrupting something …"

"Nope," the banshee said, popping her lips. "Just a friendly visit at the hospital. I'm honestly starting to hate that place. So, you said you needed a hug?"

Lydia opened her arms and wrapped them around Chloe immediately, without asking a single question. The redhead was smaller than the brunette, but since Chloe was barefoot and Lydia still had her heels on, for once their heads were at the same height. She held onto her friend for a moment, tears falling down her eyes. After a long minute, she let go of Lydia, only to be almost tackled by Stiles, who hugged her fiercely for another minute.

After this much-needed dose of love, Chloe sat down and tried to explain what she'd just learned.

"My mom's not coming. She's not coming to Beacon Hills. Ever. She just dumped me out here because apparently, I'm too dangerous to be around my family. She says I'm a ticking time bomb and that I'll probably die in Hellfire at my Ascension because I'll lose control of my mighty powers. So yeah, I'm having a sick-sucky day!"

It was remarkable that Stiles hadn't already asked a dozen questions, but Lydia cut him off before he could.

"Oh Chloe, it's okay. You came to the right place; we know a thing or two about Hellfire."

Both Chloe and Stiles snorted at that.

"So, when is your Ascension-thingy exactly?"

Stiles, a determined look on his face, had started pacing around the living room.

"On my birthday, December 2nd. Same birthday as Gianni Versace, if you were wondering."

"And what is supposed to happen then, normally?"

Chloe, feeling a slight headache coming, went to get the Tylenol bottle.

"Normally, it's supposed to be a ceremony where the ascending witch is at the center of a ritual performed by her sisters of the coven. I don't know the specifics but I could get them easily enough. It's supposed to help cement the power to the witch, ground her better and help her access her full potential. It also binds her to the coven and the coven to her. Most witches say their power has increased suddenly after the Ascension. Mine is already increasing way too fast for comfort, so you can imagine how it's gonna be when I turn 18."

Stiles looked at her, saying nothing, while Lydia was asking a barrage of questions.

"What happens if you just don't do the ritual? Or if you do it alone?"

"If I don't do the ritual, my powers will most definitely take over! They keep growing anyway, the ritual is supposed to help me rein them in better. It's even more important in my case. As for doing it alone, I don't know how I could. It's supposed to be a biding between the witch and the coven. If there's no coven, what do I bind to?"

The three of them fell silent for a long while, ruminating.

* * *

Lydia ended up sleeping over. Stiles left before dark to meet up with the other boys for … something. He didn't exactly hold back, but his quick mumbling was proof that he didn't want to talk about it to the ladies. Chloe let the redhead take what would have been her mother's room. It was a way for the witch to accept the fact that her mom wasn't coming, that she was all alone here. But she wasn't completely alone, not really. She had her friends, who were willing to come over, no questions asked, if she needed them. She had a great guy who texted her almost continuously and insisted he check up on her the next morning when he learned from Stiles she wasn't feeling alright. She had a best friend sleeping in her mom's – the guest bedroom – for the night, just so she doesn't feel too alone. No, she wasn't alone in Beacon Hills.

Shortly before midnight, Chloe heard Lydia shuffle around the kitchen. She got up, in her nightshirt, and found the redhead all dressed, making coffee.

"Lydia? I didn't even know I had a coffeemaker. I didn't even know I had coffee in the house!"

Lydia jumped when she heard Chloe's voice from the kitchen doorway. She quickly turned around, looking guilty.

"Oh hey, I didn't want to wake you up. I just have a quick errand to run."

"At midnight?"

"Well, um … yeah."

Both girls stared at each other, one fully awake and nervous, the other still sleepy and just plain confused.

"Alright, give me two minutes."

* * *

Dressed in a loose-fitting black dress and Docks, Chloe was now sitting in Lydia's car, on their way to some kid's house. The banshee has explained that a Sherriff's deputy was staking out someone they thought was a Chimera, and she had promised to bring the guy a coffee at midnight. When they got there, the deputy was in his car, dressed as a civilian. He got out when he saw them parking nearby and Lydia came out first, holding the large coffee thermos she had borrowed from Chloe's pantry. Chloe herself was still in the car and looked at the deputy through the windshield with eyes as round as saucers. He was hot as Hell! Seriously, what was it in the Beacon Hills water supply that turned people into A&F models? The little witch now deeply regretted not even bothering to comb her hair down before leaving. She clumsily got out of the car.

"… really didn't have to, Lydia."

"Yes I did. I told you I would bring you a coffee, so I brought you. A. Coffee. Besides, it was Chloe's coffee, coffeemaker and thermos. It's her you should thank."

"Who?"

Lydia turned around and pointed at the still half-asleep teenager propped up against her car.

"Jordan, this is Chloe Bellamy, she's still kind of new in town. Chloe, this is deputy Jordan Parrish. He knows about the supernatural. He might even be something himself."

He was something alright! Chloe shyly smiled and waved awkwardly.

"Nice to meet you, deputy. Wish it could have been during actual daytime, but anyway …"

Lydia rolled her eyes at the witch. She never forced the girl to accompany her, Chloe could have stayed home. She turned her focus back to Jordan.

"So, anything happen tonight?"

"Nothing at all. It's been perfectly quiet since I got here. Are you sure this is the right house?"

"Positive," said Lydia, shaking her head. "This is where Malia found the book. We know Tracy is a Chimera, she's something we never knew existed before. Makes sense to keep an eye on someone like that, doesn't it?"

Deputy Parrish nodded silently at that, and then turned around to look at the house. Chloe took advantage of the silence.

"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Tracy kind of … dead? So why are we staking out some dead girl's place," she asked after they both nodded. "What's supposed to happen there tonight?"

Deputy Parrish looked over to Lydia's slightly concerned face before answering.

"Someone is taking the bodies. We don't know who it is, or where they're taking them. Now Tracy's father was hospitalised, so he's away. The house is empty. If … whoever it is that took those bodies is trying to hide proof, they'll have to get back here. And when they do, we'll be there to catch them."

His reasoning made no sense whatsoever to her, but Chloe just nodded nonetheless. It was just too damn late to argue anyway.


	10. Ringing Phone

**A/N: Hello everybody! After the longest damn dry spell** **of my life, which included finishing a degree, moving, getting operated, and working extra shifts, I am back and so is Chloe!**

 **As always, a huge thank you to those of you who read, follow, f** **avorite and review, I love you guys! I'll try to be just a little more consistent with publishing my chapters, I promise on my plush pig's head!  
**

* * *

The phone ringing brought Cloe out of her dystopian futuristic novel abruptly. She eyed the device warily. Only her mother would call her on the landline, all her friends used her cellphone number. After the third ring she picked up, determined to get this unpleasant call over and done with as quickly as possible.

''Hello?''

''Hello Cookie? Is that you?''

A wide smile broke on the girl's face.

''Aunt Hildy, hi! How are you?''

Hildegard Murdoch was Chloe's great-aunt on her mother's side. She was well into her seventies but still had the personnality of a sixteen year-old cheerleader most of the time. She had gladly stepped in the role of grandparent to little Chloe, seeing as Felicity's parents had died before the little girl was born. Hildy was the closest thing Chloe had to a loving grandmother, even though she spoiled her rotten in clothes and shopping trips instead of baked goods.

''Ohh I'm doing fine, darling. I'm tip-top as always. What about you, Chloe? How are you doing in sunny California?''

The young witch sighed.

''I'm doing fine. School is good, I've started running in the woods a few times a week, I've made some great friends ...''

''That's good to hear, Sweetie, but I wanted to know how you're _really_ doing. I know you had a ... disturbing talk ... with your mother.''

The level of contempt held in that single last word was downright impressive. Hildy had always loved her niece very much, but 'Felicity-Darling' had a tendency to be insanely idiotic on certain subjects, how to raise her daughter being one of them.

''Yeah ... You heard about that, did you?''

''Heard about it? Your mother barged into my kitchen in the middle of last weekend and cried her eyes out until the middle of the night like a sobbing mess! She kept saying she lost you and that she was the worst mother in the history of motherhood, that you'd never speak to her again and so on and so forth! It was apalling to watch.''

Chloe winced. She was going to get chewed up really bad.

''I'm sorry Aunt Hildy, I ... I just ...''

''Don't you dare be sorry, Chloe Ophelia Bellamy-Murdoch! She had it coming in spades, for years now! I told her so, loudly might I add! I knew hiding things from you, even big, scary things, would never be a good plan. But did she listen? Noooo, she was too stubborn to listen to reason and she messed up royally! I can tell you, the other day I had half a mind to pull her ear and send her to bed without dinner if I'd still had any influence on her ...''

Chloe breathed a little better knowing that she wasn't going to be scolded by her formidable aunt. She also felt comforted that her aunt thought her moher had acted badly towards her. It legitimised her anger.

''I'm guessing my dear, ridiculous Felicity jumbled up her explanation and made no sense at all when she spoke to you? So, I'm calling to clean up this whole mess. At least, I'll do as much as I can, I'm only me, you know.''

Chloe chuckled at her aunt's false modesty.

''It's good to hear you laugh, Cookie. Alright, you must have a million questions you want to ask, so go ahead, shoot!''

She went with the first question, the one she needed an answer to more than anything else.

''Did Elder Cressida really foretell that I would destroy the Coven and die at my Ascension?''

Hildy huffed indignantly.

''That old bird? She couldn't predict a thunderstorm if lightning struck her on the head! I do remember when she read you fortune, though. She did have a vision, a very powerful one. That much is true. It was interpreted as a bad omen on your head and that was that, really. But as for what she _really_ saw and what it might mean ... You know how fickle predictions can be, Cookie. Cress was very shaken, I remember that. She told me about her vision. It might have been the only time in our decades of acquaintance when we spoke and didn't bicker or throw insults at each other. She said she saw you, in the middle of the Ascension ritual. That was easy to recognize and you looked old enough. She said that flames blazed around you, where the coven members should be taking place. She saw a pair of glowing eyes facing you. You looked into them and they stared right back at you. Then you closed your eyes and that was it. She assumed you closing your eyes meant you would die, but as far as I'm concerned, it might mean you'll get bored and fall asleep in an overstuffy ceremony. A vision can mean a million different things depending on a million different factors, Cookie. And no matter how much of it comes true, you can't let it control you from now on, do I make myself clear?''

Those words did more to soothe Chloe's nerves than anything else until then, even Theo's 'madatory makeout session' he had insisted they have in Coach's office to cheer her up.

''Yes, Aunt Hildy. Crystal clear. Thank you.''

''That's what I'm here for. Now I'm sure that's not the only question you had for me. You've always been a very curious girl, I know you still are.''

Chloe thought for a second. She had a dozen questions bouncing around in her head, but she tried to focus on the most important ones at the moment.

''Well, could you send me some information on the Ascension ritual? I wanna see if there's a way for me to do it by myself here.''

''Of course, darling. It's very smart of you. I'll send you what I find in the Coven's records, and I think I might have a book or two here on bindings and power rituals that could be useful to you. Do you have your spellbook with you? What about your journal? And do you need any ingredients for your kit? I don't know how easy it might be for you to get some.''

''Thank you that'll help a great deal. Yes yes, I have all my books here with me. And so far there's everything I need growing in the woods around town, I just have to bend down and pick it up. I guess with all the supernatural activity going on around here ...''

''Oh? What's going on over there?''

''Well, long story short, I became friends with a pack of werewolves and a banshee. There's more than just them around town too. Kitsunes, a werecoyote ... It's like this whole town is a big magnet for anyone with powers.''

''Oh well well well, that sounds fascinating, Cookie-darling. Make sure you're careful, though, you never know what might be coming your way. Is the town on many ley lines?''

''I think it is, yeah. I'll ask my friends, they have no issues sharing what they know with me at least. They're really nice too, they take good care of me.''

''That's good to hear. They all do? Or is there one particular friend?''

Hildy's tone was laced with a hunger for gossip that could put Lydia to shame.

''All of them _and_ one in particular. His name is Theo and he's a real sweetheart with me ...''

''I like him already! Is he handsome too?''

''Gosh, yes! Gorgeous enough to make me stutter ...''

''Ohh that's wonderful, Cookie! I'm glad you've got a handsome boy at you beck and call. It's always good for the ego! Alright, I'll get to work on that research for you. Maybe I'll add a batch of cookies in there too.''

Chloe laughed out loud. It was the reason behind that silly nickname of hers. Her aunt had started calling her Cookie when Chloe was 3, after she'd hidden behind the couch and eaten a whole batch of peppermint-chocolate cookies in one sitting.

''Yes, please do! Oh Aunt Hildy, wait! How ... how is my mom?''

Sigh.

''She's hurting, which is perfectly normal and healthy, given the circumstances. She's still wrapping her mind around the consequences of what she did, I think. But, Chloe, let her make the first move, okay? She's supposed to be the mom in your relationship. You shouldn't be the bigger man on this, you should be the angsty teenager who holds a grudge at her mom. Let her be the mom, just this once, alright?''

''Alright, thank you Aunt Hildy. I miss you.''

''I miss you too, Cookie, take care of yourself!''

* * *

Chloe came back home from her run in the woods a while after sunset and heard her cell blaring the Teen Titans song in the quiet appartment. She ran to pick it up from the coffee table and answered it, still winded from her run.

''Hello?''

''Chloedammitwhere'veyoubeen?'' Stiles's voice held a tone that crossed between worried-sick-mom and furious-stern-dad and he spoke so fast he jumbled up the whole sentence into a single word.

''Stiles? What was that?''

''Chloe where are you for God's sake?''

''I'm at home, chill. I just got back from a run ...''

''A 3 hour-long run, really! What are you, training for a marathon?''

There was no way in Hell she'd tell him where she really was for the past 3 hours!

''No, just training to outrun a werewolf ...''

''Nevermind that now. We're all at Scott's, get over here, like yesterday!It's about that Dread Doctors book.''

She huffed, annoyed.

''Only if you ask nicely, princess.''

You could hear Scott coughing in the background, trying to hide his laughter, while Stiles made an offended choking noise.

''Chloe, my dearest friend, could you please get your witchy ass over here before I come get you and pull you back here by the scruff?''

She laughed, he was way too easy to rile up.

''Yeah yeah, don't be such a mama bear. I need to change first, then I'll come over, Mommy Dearest!''

She hung up and shook her head. Quickly she changed into jeans, boots ans an oversized wool jumper and went out the door to get to Scott's place, still smiling like a goofball.

She'd had a great time with Theo this afternoon. The two of them went for a long hike in the Beacon Hills Preserve and then to the cliff to watch the sun set. There had been a lot of kissing - and some very fun groping - involved as well. Chloe was incredibly comfortable with him, being in his his arms felt amazingly natural to her. Since she'd forgotten her cell at home, she missed the increasingly frantic 7 texts and 5 missed calls from an increasingly frantic Stiles trying to reach her. That was the main downside of this secret romance, she couldn't just tell her friend that she had been on a lovely date with the boy she liked. It all had to be under wraps, and it was beginning to get to her. Chloe decided to try and talk with Theo about maybe letting their friends know about them. It would make things easier for her.

They were all there when she came in through the back door. Each one of her friends had a copy of the Dread Doctors book printed out and was trying to get through it. Chloe dropped her purse and sat down on the sofa, conveniently next to Theo. The good-looking boy didn't even look up at her, but smoothly put an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to his side. His pokerface never slipped, but he was clearly aknowledging that they were something. Chloe relaxed at the physical contact. _He must be okay with the relationship being out in the open. I guess there's no need to talk to him about it ...  
_

"So what's going on? And what's with the book club? Stiles wasn't exactly forthcoming earlier ..."

Scott greeted her with a smile. Stiles, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at her and Theo, looking like he wanted to rip the offending arm off of her. Lydia spoke from her armchair across the room.

"Basically the idea is that when you read the book, it triggers the memories you might have of the Dread Doctors. If they did something to you, you can remember it. We need to know if they came for any of us. So we're all finishing it tonight, no matter what."

"Okay so ... I guess I'm fine, because I've read it already and I didn't get any weird flashbacks. But wait, don't they deal with those Chimera-things only? Why should _we_ be targeted? And how did you guys even learn about the book's effect anyway? I think I've missed a few episodes ..."

"We ... We went to see the author yesterday. He told us what we needed to know about it. I should have told you. It didn't go so well ..."

By the guilty look on Scott's face, Chloe guessed it had gone much worse than he let on. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go make some tea, we'll be here for a while."

"Oh d'you think you could make some coffee too?" Stiles asked, hopeful.

"I'm not giving you coffee!"

"Why not?" His kicked puppy look was definetly not as good as Scott's.

"Because your dad made me promise not to!" she answered from the kitchen.

''Wait, what's that supposed to mean? Chloe?!''

He got up and went after her. As soon as he passed the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, he gave her a 'have you gone mad' glare.

''One: what d'you mean my dad made you promise not to give me coffee? Two and most importantly: why the hell are you and Raeken all snuggly together on the couch?''

Chloe turned around from the sink, plugging the filled kettle, and hissed at him.

''Keep it down, dammit, the only one in there who _doesn't_ have super-hearing is Lydia.''

''Fine but what is going on between you two?''

''Do I really have to explain boy-girl relationships to you Stiles?'' she argued, crossing her arms defensively. ''You've got a girlfriend, don't you?''

He went and started the coffeepot, his head shaking in disbelief, and dropped his voice to a harsh whisper.

''Yeah but ... Is that what you were doing all afternoon today? And when did _this ..._ _disaster_ happen?''

''Yeah we were together today, so what? And, if you must _absolutely_ know, it happened that time we both got detention together.''

''Like what, did you get high off his bad-boy stench or something?''

Chloe huffed, wishing she had a frying pan to knock him out with.

''Stiles, for God's sake, just because you don't feel at ease with the guy doesn't mean I can't ...''

He cut her off, snorting angrily.

''Yeah! I'm sure he makes you feel right at ease. He'll ease you right out of your pants soon enough!''

Chloe sighed, exasperated.

''Okay firstly, I can keep my pants on very well by myself, thank you very much! Secondly, what makes you think I would mind at all if he did? And thirdly, what the Hell is up with you? You're acting like some overbearing big douchebro ...''

Stiles looked to his shoes on the tiled floor.

''Because you've been dumped here and you're all alone, Chloe. This is Beacon Hills, you need to be more than just a little careful around here. So yeah, I try to keep an eye out, just to be safe. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you ...''

Chloe deflated right away. He was worried about her. It was such a normal reaction, one that was to be expected from a friend, that she could have kicked herself in the rear. He was her friend and he was worried. Even her family didn't worry as much for her well-being, they were just _so_ confident that she'd be alright, no matter what. This had the effect of a cold shower on the angry little witch.

''I get it, Stiles, and I appreciate what you're trying to do for me. But this just, sort of, happened and I'm not even sure what _this_ is yet. I can promise you I'll be cautious, but I'm not gonna start avoiding him just because you don't like the guy, okay? Because I really like him, and dating a guy and feeling all lovey-dovey and sappy is the most normal thing in my crazy, fucked up life lately. So are we good, you and me?"

Stiles seemed to realise he wouldn't get any further than that with her. With one more sigh and a nod of his head, he grabbed the now steaming coffee pot and was going back to the others. Chloe stopped him, pulling him into a hug from behind, her head on his shoulder, then she took the teapot and followed him.

* * *

They had been at it for a few hours now and they were all getting sick and tired of it. Scott had to make a conscious effort to blink.

"Anybody feel anything?"

Kira didn't even lift her eyes to respond.

''Bored ...''

''I'm hungry ...''

Liam's stomach chose that particular moment to make itself heard. Lydia rolled her eyes dramatically.

''I think he meant the book.''

Chloe had been sitting in her spot on the sofa, still slightly snuggled up against Theo, but she couldn't stand it any longer. She got up and headed for the kitchen again.

''I ordered the pizzas less than 15 minutes ago, calm down Liam. I'll make more tea and coffee ...''

''My mom's book club usually has more wine ...'' Lydia's muttering made them all chuckle, except for Kira, who was stil trying to read. Her forehead was scrunched in concentration, her eyes moving ever so slowly over the page.

Chloe was mostly done with her novel anyway, she'd pick up another book from her bag before sitting down again. Even though she had already read the Dread Doctors' book, Chloe had insisted to stay along for moral support. She'd taken care of providing food and drinks for everyone, to make sure they stayed awake, but she was at the end of her patience too. The book had been boring, yes, but it hadn't taken her so long to go through it. _Slow readers!_

''I'll help you with that. Can't stay put anymore, my leg is going asleep.''

Theo's quiet voice sent a tiny shiver up and down her spine as he got up and followed her into the kitchen at a lazy pace. When they were both out of sight from the rest of the pack, Theo caught Chloe by the hand and pulled her against his chest. He smiled and stroked her face with his other hand.

"You're awfully proper tonight. Are you okay?"

She smiled up at him, already a little dizzy and breathless.

"Yeah I'm good, I just wasn't sure you wanted the others to know about us ..."

His eyes searched hers, eyebrows raised and a soft smile on his lovely face. He had a lovely face, really. He looked so sincere and sweet, Chloe's heart was beginning to beat faster in her chest, nestled against his.

"Well I don't think I can sit next to you and keep my cool anymore, so maybe we could go 'official' and tell the others, hm? I'd love a little cuddling right now ..."

Theo had lowered his head and was nuzzling her ear playfully and it was sending elecric shocks down to the tips of her fingers and toes.

"We could ... But I'm not a big fan of public displays of affection ..."

He nodded, his smug little smirk coming back on full force, and whispered to her.

"Well we're not in public now are we?"

Instead of answering him, Chloe got up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips. Theo wasted no time and kissed her right back. After a few moments of playful kisses and nips, she deepened the kiss, backing up to the counter, pulling him by the shirt. Things were growing heated and Chloe's whole body felt like it was about to catch fire. Theo bit Chloe's lower lip, eliciting a sharp gasp. She sat up on the countertop, her legs dangling on each side of his hips. He stroked her back over her shirt, then moved under it, his hands like hot pokers against her skin, making her blood boil. Chloe clutched Theo's broad shoulders, digging her nails in his muscle. He hissed and grabbed at her thigh, chuckling under his breath ...

Chloe felt hungry for him. What she'd told Stiles was right, she wouldn't mind going further with Theo. Maybe even going all the way. Being constantly scared for her life, for her future, it was making her feel more alive than ever before. Chloe wanted to throw caution to the wind for a change and fully enjoy what she had while she could.

... Her hands under his shirt, she was enjoying the feel of his body. He had moved down to kissing her neck, leaving a trail of tiny hickeys right under her shirt collar. One hand was still on her thigh, holding her in place, while the other was stroking the delicate skin on her ribs, right under her bra. His muffled voice came up from her neckline.

"I should get back to my reading ..."

She snorted and brought his face back up to kiss him.

"Okay, should I be insulted? Even I'm not nerdy enough to be thinking about books right now."

"Don't worry, you're fascinating, I just think we should get back before we get carried away ..."

"I didn't hear you complaining ... much!"

He laughed and peppered small kisses on her neck again.

"If you two don't come back here with coffee soon enough, you'll hear ME complaining!"

Liam's shout cut the moment like a chainsaw. The two lovebirds, caught quite red-handed, went back to the living room. Both were sporting an intense blush but their friends all had sparkling eyes and were trying hard not to laugh. In the end, Scott and Lydia were the first to lose it and laugh, but the rest joined in quickly. It would be one of the last things Chloe would remember from their all-nighter. She slowly drifted to sleep soon after, her hand in Theo's, her head tilted back, breathing softly.

* * *

 **She'll wake up with one hell of a crick in the neck, that's for sure!**

 **Finally a new chapter, yesss!**

 **You have no idea how hard it was for me to get this thing out. Basically I had to work on it from work, between customers, for a few weeks now! Guess I missed my personnal February 15th deadline ... ! Anyway, I hope you all haven't given up on this fic, I should be able to get a bit more out this summer, hopefully!**

 **Reviews are more than welcome, they let me know you're still out there!**


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